


We Remain (and I'm not letting go)

by Oblivion_Wanderer



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: First Kiss, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2020-03-08 23:47:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18905113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oblivion_Wanderer/pseuds/Oblivion_Wanderer
Summary: “Then all we can do is keep fighting.” Hermann said, closing his eyes. “We’ll make it. We’ll get through this. Together.”





	We Remain (and I'm not letting go)

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is a piece I wrote for the newmann zine "The Last Line of Defense"! I'm so excited to finally be able to share this with you all.
> 
> Insp. by the song Ocean of Storms, by K.Burwash (from the beautiful album Moonlanding)

_(2021)_

 

“They can’t be serious! They must be completely stupid if they think they can just-”

“Calm down.” Hermann tried, hoping to contain the fire of his colleague's rage before he punched something, or someone.

“They just cut funding to our department _again_ and you want me to be calm?!” Newt exclaimed. “How can _you_ be so calm about this dude!?”

“Trust me, this news angers me as much as you. It affects both of us.”

In hindsight, he should have seen this coming; they’d lost a portion of funding before, so this wasn’t the first time. However, the real hint should have been when the last two people that had been working with them in the K-Science department had resigned earlier in the week under ‘rumors’, leaving himself and Newt as the only ones left. Shortly after, they had both received notices that their funding would be cut down once again.

This news distressed Hermann, but it wasn’t the first time this had happened. Newt on the other hand… Newt was absolutely furious, pacing around on his side of their lab.

“First they have the nerve to take a portion of our funding away, then people keep leaving, Kaiju keep attacking, stupid bureaucrats keep breathing down our necks.” Newt continued ranting. “Now our only remaining intern and scientist both resign and our funding is getting cut _again!_ ”

“I know, Newton. We still have the Jaegers at least. If nothing else we need to keep them operational in case of an attack.”

“Oh good.” Newt replied sarcastically. “They can save the day and leave me little to work with. We work our asses off to give everyone else an edge on the Kaiju but we’re still the ones that get the short end of the stick! It’s like we’re the only ones who still care! God, you can’t just think blowing everything up will work! You gotta look at the science! Understanding them- that’s what’s going to save us; not some fucking wall they think they can hide behind. It won’t work! Letting us do our jobs instead of trying to sabotage us is what’s gonna work.”

Something in Newt changed. He stopped pacing and wandered over to the couch that was tucked away in a corner of the lab. He ran a hand through his hair once, and then sat down.

“I’m so sick of this.”

Hermann frowned at seeing the other biologist in such a state. If there was one thing he knew about Newt, it was that he was passionate about his work; about the Kaiju. The tattoos on his arms, inked into his body, were evidence of that, as much as Hermann had hated them originally. Despite his flaws, it was his passion, his energy, his determination, that Hermann had grown to like. Appreciate and adore, really. More than that even.

Though he understood why Newt was so upset, truly, he didn’t like seeing Newt like this.

Giving his work on his desk brief glance, he closed his laptop, grabbed his cane, and stood from the chair. He made his way over to the couch and sat next to Newton.

“I know you’re upset.” Hermann said. “I’m not happy about this ether; it is the second time this has happened. Funding is getting taken away from the entire program though, because they want to fund their foolish Wall instead. We need the Jaegers, and I was expecting some cuts to be more severe than others. This does not mean I’m calm about what is happening to our department. I only asked you to calm down so you don’t go picking fights with anyone as a way of venting your frustration.”

“When have I ever done that?”

“Need I remind you?”

“Okay. Yeah. Yeah, I know.” He lifted his head from his hands, putting his glasses back on. “You always handle these things better. It just seems like we’re always the ones to get the axe first, and I hate it. It makes me feel like my work doesn’t matter. Like your work doesn’t matter. We don’t matter.”

Hermann thought a lot of things about Newt; some were bad, but some were good. However, Hermann did not doubt his work, his research on the Kaiju. From their first correspondence, Hermann knew Newt was an extremely smart man. He knew exactly what he was talking about when it came to the Kaiju.

“We do matter, especially you.” Hermann assured him. “Your work has given us so much more depth into the Kaiju. I make the predictions but you get down deeper than any one else dares.”

“Dude, no, don’t just cast aside your work like that. Your prediction model is super useful and if you weren’t here to map the Breach then who would? No one else has your smarts, even if you talk Math all day. I kinda wish this hadn’t happened on top of losing another Jaeger during the last attack. Just makes me feel worse, you know?”

Hermann nodded. Whenever they lost a Jaeger he too felt the guilt, that he should have done more. He helped code the war machines after all.

Newt sighed, bringing his hands together. “What are we gonna do if it’s just us two? You’ve seen it too- the rate of attack is increasing. How do they expect us to keep up if it’s only us two and less of a budget than we had before?”

“Then we find a way.” Hermann said. “It’s up to us now. And if… if no one else I will always be here. I will always be interested in your research. I have been since our first letter.”

Newt gave a weak laugh. “You’re just trying to cheer me up.”

“Newton, I mean every word. And, to be honest, you… you mean more to me than just your work; more than you may care to realize. It may be just us now, but I’ll still be here. I can’t… I can’t imagine being anywhere else. I don’t want to be.”

The biologist turned to look at him. “You mean that?”

“Of course.” He replied, reaching out and putting his hand around Newt’s wrist as a gesture of comfort.

He watched Newt’s gaze transfer to where his hand lay and then back to meet his eyes. He then turned so he was properly facing Hermann, reaching out his free hand to find and placing it on Hermann’s arm. The physicist didn’t flinch away, but rather found himself staring into those soft green eyes.

Newt leaned closer, tilting his head up. Hermann wasn’t sure who moved first, because the next thing he knew, they closed the distance between each other and he felt Newt’s lips on his. It was only a moment before they parted, but Hermann returned the kiss, bringing his hands up to cup Newt’s face.

This was something that had crossed his mind before, but discarded as a fantasy. He supposed though, this was a long time coming. He’d entertained these feelings before, back during the letter years. That’s when those feeling had taken root. It seemed like a logical progression if he thought about it that way. They had corresponded for years and worked together for the majority of the War thus far. It was just something Hermann had initially ignored, but over time he knew better.

But now here they were kissing each other like they never wanted to let go.

When they finally broke for air, all Hermann could do was stare at the other man. He wasn’t sure what to say, but maybe Newt was left speechless as well. After a moment or two, Newt smiled at him. He looked so happy.

“Didn’t think you’d- You don’t know how many times I’ve thought about doing that.”

Hermann smiled back at him. “Would you believe I’ve entertained the same thoughts?”

“Ha. Well… better late than never, right?” Newt said. “And all it took was everything going to hell around us.”

He paused to kiss the top of Newt’s head. “I’ll always be here, because _you_ are still here. We are still here. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Nether am I, dude. If we, you know, somehow don’t defeat the Kaiju, at least I’m with you.”

When Newt finished speaking, he sniffled, and wrapped his arms around Hermann, this time embracing him and resting his head on his shoulder.

“Then all we can do is keep fighting.” Hermann said, closing his eyes. “We’ll make it. We’ll get through this. Together.”

“Together.”


End file.
